Holder for handled tools to be sharpened

ABSTRACT

A support body including a broad and long undersurface for stable support from any suitable supporting surface such as a workbench or the ground. The body further includes specifically contoured upper surface portions and attendant selectively usable prop structure for supporting various types of tools such as rakes, hoes, hatchets and axes, in stationary position relative to the body and in an attitude adapted to have the work-engaging surfaces thereof sharpened by the use of a sharpening implement such as a file. Still further, the body is hollow and defines an interior storage compartment together with a removable closure for one end of the compartment and the storage compartment is of dimensions adapted to have sharpening tools such as a file and a cleaning tool such as a wire brush stored therein.

Inventor:

Filed:

HOLDER FOR HANDLED TOOLS TO BE SHARPENED William J. Gilliland, R.R. 2, Box

254, Campbell, Mo. 33830 Mar. 5, 1973 Appl. No.: 338,188

US. Cl 76/82, 51/218 A, 269/16,

Int. Cl B2lk 11/14 [58] Field of Search 76/82; 51/218 R, 218 A, 51/220, 238 R, 238 S, 239; 269/289, 291,

254 CS, 321 N References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Purcell 76/82 Purcell.... 76/82 Po1selli.... 144/285 Hild 269/296 Boser 269/131 X May 28, 1974 Primary Examiner-Roy Lake Assistant Examiner-Neil Abrams Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Clarenee A. OBrien; Harvey B. Jacobson [57] ABSTRACT A support body including a broad and long undersurface for stable support from any suitable supporting surface such a workbench or the ground. The body further includes specifically contoured upper surface portions and attendant selectively usable prop structure for supporting various types of tools such as rakes, hoes, hatchets and axes, in stationary position relative to the body and in an attitude adapted to have the work-engaging surfaces thereof sharpened by the use of a sharpening implement such as a file. Still further, the body is hollow and defines an interior storage compartment together with a removable closure for one end of the compartment and the storage compartment is of dimensions adapted to have sharpening tools such as a file and a cleaning tool such as a wire brush stored therein.

8 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures fNENTEDMY 28 an SHiU 3 0F 3 HOLDER FOR HANDLEDITOOLS TO BE SHARPENED The holder of the instant invention has been specifically designed to provide a means whereby various types of hand tools, and particularly those used for heavy cutting and ground working purposes, may be stationarily supported in a position offering the workengaging surfaces thereof in ready position to be sharpened.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hand tool holder including rest and prop structural features adapting the holder to stationarily support a plurality of different types of hand tools.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a holder in accordance with the preceding objects and including a removably closable storage compartment in which hand tool cleaning and sharpening tools may be stored.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a holder for handled tools to be sharpened and which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tool holder with the closure for the storage compartment in a closed position and the tool handle prop thereof in an inactive position;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the tool holder as seen from the back side of FIG. 1 and with portions thereof being broken away to more clearly illustrate some of the internal structural features of the holder;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the holder in use supporting a hoe in stationary position for sharpening purposes;

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the holder supporting a hoe therefrom and with a file in position to sharpen the work-engaging edge of the blade portion of the hoe;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary end elevational view similar to FIG. 5 but illustrating the manner in which a hoe may be alternately positioned relative to the holder;

FIG. 7 is an end elevational view similar to FIG. 5 but with the holder in use supporting an ax for sharpening of the blade portion of the ax;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the holder in use supporting a first form of rake; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the holder illustrated supporting a second form of rake.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the holder of the instant invention. The holder 10 comprises a hollow housing 12 including opposite end walls 14 and 16 interconnected by means of a bottom wall 18 extending therebetween. In addition; the housing includes a pair of upwardly convergent opposite side walls 20 and 24 whose upper end portions curve upwardly and generally parallel each other. Still further, a top wall 26 extends between the upper marginal portions of the end walls 14 and 16 and the side walls 20 and 24, the latter extending between the end walls 14 and 16.

The end wall 14 has a circular opening 28 formed therein and a storage cylinder 30 is telescoped in through the opening 28 and abutted against and secured to the opposite end wall 16 in any convenient manner. In addition, the endof the storage cylinder 30 remote from the end wall 16 is secured to the portions of the end wall 14 defining the opening 18. A circular closure plate or door 32 includes an apertured mounting tab 34 pivotally secured to the end wall 14 by means of a pivot fastener 36 and the closure plate or door is swingable into and out of position closing the end of the storage cylinder 30 remote from the end wall 16, an outwardly projecting stop pin 38 being carried by the end wall 14 for limiting movement of the closure plate 32 to the closed position, a handle 40 being provided on the closure plate 32 for facilitating manual swinging of the closure plate 32 between its open and closed positions, and a clamp 42 being supported from the end wall 14 for clampingly securing the cover plate 32 in the closed position.

The central upper marginal portion of the body or housing 12 is provided with a transversely extending upwardly opening notch 44 including opposite side walls 46 and 48 and a bottom wall 50. Also, a generally U-shaped bail-type handle 52 is provided and includes inturned opposite end portions 54 and 56 projecting inwardly through and rotatably supported in apertures 58 formed in the upper portions of the end walls 14 and 16. Also, the top wall 26 defines a pair of longitudinally extending upwardly projecting aligned ridges 60 disposed on opposite sides of the notch 44 and extending along the rear side of the top wall 26 as viewed in FIG. 1

The near or front side wall 24 includes a pair of longitudinally spaced anchors 62 on opposite sides of the notch 44 above the lower extremity of the notch 44 and an expansion spring 64 has its opposite ends secured to the anchors 62. In addition, an elongated longitudinally extending mounting strap 66 is secured to the central portion of the lower marginal edge portion of the side wall24 by means of fasteners 68 and includes upturned opposite ends 70 which are apertured and define mounting ears. The free ends of the legs 72 of an inverted U-shaped prop are pivotally secured to the apertured mounting ears 70 by means of pivot fasteners 74 and the legs 72 of the. prop are interconnected by means of a bight portion 76 extending therebetween and including a downwardly depressed central portion 78.

From FIG. 2 of the drawings it may be seen that a hand file 80 and wire brush 82 may be contained within the cylinder or sleeve 30. Also, after the hand file and wire brush have been removed from the cylinder or sleeve 30, it may be seen that a hoe 83 including a long handle 84 and an angulated blade portion 86 may be I supported from the body or housing 12 with the head end of the handle 84 cradled in the notch 44 and the back side of the blade or blade portion 86 resting upon the top wall 26 and abutted against the ridges 60. The prop has its chains 88 released from the anchor 90 so that the prop may be swung outwardly and downwardly to a horizontal inoperative position, the free end of the handle 84 resting upon the surface upon which the body or housing 12 is supported. When the hoe 83 is thus positioned, the working edge of its blade portion 86 is fully exposed for cleaning by the wire brush and the cutting edge 92 of the blade portion 86 may be sharpened by the hand file 80. Still further, it will be noted that one end of the spring 64 has been released from its corresponding anchor 62 and the spring 64 has been engaged over the handle 84 and reattached to the anchor 62 whereby the spring 64 assists in maintaining the handle 84 within the notch 44 and the back edge of the blade portion 86 in engagement with the top wall 26 against the ridges 60.

With attention now invited more specifically to FIGS. and 6 of the drawings, there may be seen a short handled hoe 83 supported from the body or housing 12 in substantially the same manner as the long handled hoe 83, except that the short handle 84' of the hoe 83' is cradled in the depressed portion 78 of the bight portion 76 of the prop, the latter having its chains 88 secured to the anchor 90. Also, from FIG. 6 of the drawings it may be seen that the short handled hoe 83' may be supported from the body 12 with the back edge of the blade portion 86 seated against the ridges 62 and the shank 90 connecting the handle 84' to the blade portion 86' centered in the notch 44. Of course, when the short handled hoe 83' is thus positioned, one hand is used to hold the handle 84 while the other hand is used to support and move the file 80 across the cutting edge 92 of the blade portion 86.

In sharpening a hoe, the first sharpening process is carried out as illustrated in FIG. 5 and then the hoe is turned to the position thereof illustrated in FIG. 6 in order to move the file 80 lightly over the opposite side of the cutting edge 92.

From FIG. 7 of the drawings, it may be seen that the head 104 of an ax 106 including a long handle 108 may be supported from the body 12 in a manner such as to present the cutting edge 110 of the head 104 in proper attitude for sharpening by the file 80. The heel 112 of the head 104 is cradled in the notch 44 and the expansion spring 64 is passed over the handle 108 closely adjacent the head 104. In this manner, the head 104 of the ax 106 will be stationarily positioned for sharpening purposes. With attention now invited more specifically to FIG. 8 of the drawings, it may be seen that the head 114 of a rake 116 including a long handle 118 may be supported in stationary position from the body 12 in substantially the same manner that the hoe 83 is supported from the body 12 in FIG. 4. However, if the handle 118 was short, the prop would be utilized to support the short handle in the same manner as the handle of the hoe illustrated in FIG. 5. With attention now invited more specifically to FIG. 9, it may be seen that the head 122 of the second form of rake 124 may be supported from the body 12 with the head supporting arms 126 of the rake 124 extending along the top wall 26 against the ribs 60. Of course, the free end of the handle 128 of the rake 124 abuts the surface upon which the body 12 rests and the lines 130 of the rake 124 are properly positioned for sharpening by the file 80. If it is desired, the expansion spring 64 may also be engaged over the arms 126 adjacent the handle 128.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A support for supporting hand tools to be sharpened, said support comprising a body having front and rear sides joined at their upper ends by means of a top side extending therebetween, said body having a front to rear extending notch formed therein unobstructed at its opposite ends and opening through said front and rear sides at its front and rear ends and also opening upwardly through said top side, said notch being adapted to receive the handle of a handled tool therein, said body including an upwardly projecting rib extending along and above the rear marginal portion of the top side thereof on both sides of the rear portion of said notch, said front and rear sides being interconnected by upstanding opposite end walls extending therebetween, said support being hollow andincluding an opening formed therein remote from said notch through which hand tools for cleaning and sharpening may be placed within said body for storage.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body includes an elongated flexible elastic tension member extending across the front side thereof having its opposite ends anchored to said front side on opposite sides of said notch.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said opposite ends of said tension member are anchored to said front side at points disposed in a horizontal plane adjacent the lower extremity of said notch.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said front side of said body includes an elongated prop having one end thereof pivotally secured to said front side for oscillation about a horizontal axis extending transversely of said prop and from side to side relative to said body, the free end of said prop being provided with means defining an outwardly opening notch disposed in generally the same upstanding front to rear extending plane in which the first mentioned notch is disposed.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said body includes an elongated flexible elastic tension member extending across the front side thereof having its opposite ends anchored to said front side on opposite sides of said notch.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said opposite ends of said tension member are anchored to said front the other end thereof secured to the portions of said opening.

one end wall defining said 

1. A support for supporting hand tools to be sharpened, said support comprising a body having front and rear sides joined at their upper ends by means of a top side eXtending therebetween, said body having a front to rear extending notch formed therein unobstructed at its opposite ends and opening through said front and rear sides at its front and rear ends and also opening upwardly through said top side, said notch being adapted to receive the handle of a handled tool therein, said body including an upwardly projecting rib extending along and above the rear marginal portion of the top side thereof on both sides of the rear portion of said notch, said front and rear sides being interconnected by upstanding opposite end walls extending therebetween, said support being hollow and including an opening formed therein remote from said notch through which hand tools for cleaning and sharpening may be placed within said body for storage.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body includes an elongated flexible elastic tension member extending across the front side thereof having its opposite ends anchored to said front side on opposite sides of said notch.
 3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said opposite ends of said tension member are anchored to said front side at points disposed in a horizontal plane adjacent the lower extremity of said notch.
 4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said front side of said body includes an elongated prop having one end thereof pivotally secured to said front side for oscillation about a horizontal axis extending transversely of said prop and from side to side relative to said body, the free end of said prop being provided with means defining an outwardly opening notch disposed in generally the same upstanding front to rear extending plane in which the first mentioned notch is disposed.
 5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said body includes an elongated flexible elastic tension member extending across the front side thereof having its opposite ends anchored to said front side on opposite sides of said notch.
 6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said opposite ends of said tension member are anchored to said front side at points disposed in a horizontal plane adjacent the lower extremity of said notch.
 7. The combination of claim 1 including a cover for said opening removably securable in position closing said opening.
 8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said opening is formed in one end wall, a storage sleeve extending between said end walls within said body having one end secured to the inner surface of the other end wall and the other end thereof secured to the portions of said one end wall defining said opening. 